


Cub Together

by Toonfreak



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Halloween, Humor, Pets, Short Stories, lion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8011258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toonfreak/pseuds/Toonfreak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short stories featuring the misadventures of our favorite pink lion! (A sequel to the fan fiction "Live and Let Lion")</p><p>Chapter 7: Lapis the Sheepish Lion - Lapis finds an interesting pink creature while watching wildlife</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Live From Empire City, It's Sardonyx Tonight! (featured guest: Lion)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Join us this evening for a very special episode with our absolute dearest host, Sardonyx!

A pitch darkness surrounds you. The confusing situation is somewhat foreboding. Suddenly, a voice booms somewhere from the front.

"Live from this Shared Literary Venue! IT'S SARDONYX TONIGHT!"  
The lights rise! A stage suddenly appears. The set up includes our red gem host, Sardonyx, standing in front of a wooden podium. Opposite her in the guest chair is what looks to be a very confused pink lion. The cat looks around in a shock at the sudden light display and massive crowd of humans sitting in front of him. Sardonyx begins:  
"GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY! How are you all doing tonight?"  
The crowd around you erupts in singular applause.

The gem continues. "The show we have planned this evening is VERY special. You see, this is not my normal venue…not AT ALL. We are actually projecting our program from THE INSIDE OF YOUR MIND! How is that you ask? Well, you can see me right now, clear as day, can't you? Let's just say, it's MAGIC!"

With a wave of her hand the gem suddenly makes thousands of dragonflies appear. The crowd gasps in awe before erupting into applause again.

"Hmm. The visuals in here aren't as good as my regular venue, but I guess it will have to do for now. Writing is kind of like that, isn't it folks?"  
A slight sitcom-like laughter is produced.  
"We also have a special guest to talk to tonight! Here with me, is the one, the only, LIIIIOOON!" The gem gestures toward the large cat in the opposite seat. The crowd claps politely as the large feline looks slightly frightened and incredibly bewildered by all the noise and attention.

The gem sits down in her stage chair.  
"Let's get started! So tell me Lion, what should we expect from YOU for your upcoming adventures? Any plans, hmm?"  
The animal sits quite stoically, not quite sure how to answer this question.  
"What's the matter darling? Cat got your tongue? OH! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO!" As the gem laughs, the crowd joins in with glee, before silencing once more.  
"…but really, truly, SERIOUSLY, what have you been up to lately my dear Lion? Certainly there is something you can tell us about your future goals and triumphs? You are technically a Crystal Gem now after all…."

The cat lowers his head. "Mrrrrppph…" He looks up at the gem with hope for some direction.

"Let's try this then! How about just "yes" and "no" questions? Each time I ask a question roar once for "yes", and make any other noise for "no". Got it?"  
"RAAWR."  
"Good, good! Right! Let's get this interview started than shall we? So we all know we are here because you are about to STAR in a brand new fictional story correct?"  
"RAAWR."  
"Can we expect any other gems to appear in this piece that we have not seen written before?"  
"(raawr…)"  
"You seem a bit hesitant darling… I'm not sure if the entire audience heard you…"  
"RAAWR!"  
"That's much better! Thank you!"

The gem straightens the papers on her desk before continuing. Lion begins to lick his paw in a slight annoyance. Sardonyx looks extremely appalled.  
"Really now! Don't you know how unprofessional it is to brush your hair during an interview? …and in front of all these nice people too!" the gem gestures toward you as well as the rest of the audience. "Trust me! You look fine. Don't be nervous."  
Lion stops licking his paw and blushes slightly with embarrassment.  
"Mrrrr…" The large cat droops his head in shame.  
"That's quite all right. Just don't do it again."

Sardonyx straightens her bow tie with her second pair of arms, before they twist around 180 degrees.

"Continuing…will there be any comedic situations coming within the next few weeks?"  
The animal looks deep in thought for a second. He glairs at the ceiling. "Raawwrrmph."  
"I see! I see! Yes of course! This is partially a comedy after all!" The red gem nods in agreement, before leaning in closely to the cat. "…and will there be any ROOOMANCE?!"

An audible "OOOOOOooohhhh!" can be heard from the crowd as you wait for the creature's answer.  
Lion looks around somewhat sarcastically. "Mmmmph."  
Sardonyx seems slightly disappointed. "…are you quite sure darling? You must give the people what they want I say!"  
"Rarrrph mrrr grrumph."  
"What do you mean your publisher doesn't want to start a shipping war? How am I supposed to get an interesting scoop if there is no substance?"  
"Roooooooo…."  
"I see. So she thinks there is enough romance stories out there already? Well that's not a very enthusiastic way to go about it! What a terrible disadvantage! (doesn't sound too bright either) Your publisher seems like she has the CARDS stacked against her."

With the pronounced word, the gem displays a deck of cards to the audience, and with a swipe of her hand makes them disappear. The crowd cheers with joy.  
"Ok! Ok! One last question! Will we get to see any repeat guests from your previous adventures?"  
Lion says nothing, but smiles slightly.  
"Not letting the cat out of the bag, eh? OH! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO!"

The audience erupts in laughter around you.

"I guess you can't tell all of your secrets. What fun would that be, right?"  
Lion closes his eyes in contempt.  
The gem stands up and faces her audience.  
Sardonyx looks at you. "Well, that's all the time we have for this show! Tune in next week to see what wacky questions we get from our watchers! I'm sure it will be quite a spin!"

The host spins her secondary arms again, before all the lights diminish.

You find yourself in dark silence once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! The "not too bright" publisher here!  
> (seriously…that was really rude…)  
> …anyway, I welcome everyone to the story of "Cub Together"! I hope you all enjoy yourself!  
> (mumbles obstinacies under her breath about having to write in second POV while breaking the fourth wall at the same time…stupid fusion….)
> 
> **To be completely frank, Sardonyx is probably my current favorite of all the fusions on the show…other than Garnet of course!  
> …but HOLY MOLY is she difficult to write for…good god.
> 
> You guys are free to send in questions for her to answer, but unless I get a decent amount of substance to work with I won't be writing a 4th wall breaking/ 2nd POV again anytime soon. LOL! (keep in mind the rating if you do send in anything…o-key-dokie?)
> 
> Also, these short stories are a sequel to my other fan fiction "Live and Let Lion", so if you haven't read that one yet, I would highly suggest to do so!


	2. Pride Infestation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lion discovers the wonders of Amethyst's room!

Lion was alone.

The gems had entered the warp pad several hours ago to go on some sort of "mission".  
Unfortunately, they had taken Steven with them.  
Lion was ultimately and utterly bored without his favorite person by his side. Even if the boy was annoying sometimes, at least he made any situation interesting…

The cat rolled on the floor of the temple giving an uninterested gurgle. He had to find something to do to keep up with this dull situation. The lion sat up and began to sniff the air at anything that would peak his interest. The animal's nose led him to a bowl of oranges that had been left on the kitchen counter. He stood on his hind legs, and fixed his front half to the furniture. The large cat then stuck his head into the bowl, resulting in the oranges falling to the floor. Lion took advantage of the situation, by lunging toward one of the fruit and batting it around like a make shift toy. The fun didn't last long though. As the creature pounced upon the object, the thing exploded in a rain of juice and pulp.  
Slightly shocked and embarrassed, the cat began to casually clean himself in hopes that no one had seen his mistake. The animal sighed. Boredom struck again.

Lion spotted the gem's room on the other side of the house. Perhaps there would be something interesting inside that would occupy his time? He stood in front of it, and sniffed at the air again. Indeed, a most interesting smell was coming from the door. The large creature approached with caution, and stuck his paw on the front.  
Nothing happened.  
Frustrated, the animal began to shove at the door with both front paws…  
…still nothing happened.  
Well, THIS was a bust. If the door couldn't even budge under his own weight, what use was it? Maybe if he waited long enough it would open on its own? The cat sat down and patiently waited to be let in.

Eventually, he lied down in front of it.

…and finally he fell asleep. His back was against the door in case it opened. He curled up in a comfortable position, and drifted away into a dreamland.

\----------------

Several hours passed. The sun had gone to sleep long ago. The warp pad activated, and Lion droopily awoke from his slumber just long enough to get a gist as to what was going on. He heard shouting from Pearl- something about an "orange pulp" which was all over the house. Steven yawned and got ready for bed. The cat drifted in and out of consciousness. Pearl and Garnet went back into the warp and left Steven in the care of Amethyst.

After eating a good portion of the remaining oranges, Amethyst approached her room. In a surprise discovery, she realized that the large creature had fallen asleep right in front of the doorway, making it pretty much impossible for the temple to open even if she wanted it to.  
She poked the lion annoyingly on the side, hoping he would take a hint. The animal didn't even stir.  
"Come on Lion! I want to go to sleep! Get out of the way." The gem sounded fatigued, and very much not in in the mood to be barricaded away from her collection of stuff. Lion grunted, and opened one eye. He sat up, stretched, and yawned, before smacking his lips in annoyance.  
"Thanks." The gem walked through the door and the creature attempted to follow. "HEY! You can't come in here! This is MY room!"  
The feline huffed and looked down at the purple gem in defiance. He had been waiting for hours to come in here, and by golly he was going to find out what that interesting smell was, even if he got himself in trouble.  
"You just want to look around, huh?"  
The animal answered with mixture between a growl and a purr.  
"Well, ok, but just for a little bit, and DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING! I have a very organized mess that has taken me years to perfect!"  
The cat simply stared.  
"Good. I'm glad you understand."  
Lion followed the gem inside and was immediately impressed at what he found!

There were piles-yes-piles and piles of strange and exotic playthings! Each of these mounds featured a theme only in the simplest sense. Visible were old pieces of vehicles, novelty toys, broken lightbulbs, books, weapons, swords, furniture, and so much other stuff that no one could possibly classify it all.  
To a normal rational person, the room would reflect that of a hoarder, but to Lion, the surrounding area was a goldmine of fun!  
As the feline walked inside, there was an unpleasant sensation of the floor being sticky, but the animal was so excited, he didn't even mind.  
Lion found an old fashioned wooden spinning wheel sticking out of one of the piles, and began to bat at it playfully. He watched as some leftover string turned in the wheel.  
"HEY! Be careful with that!" Amethyst shoved the animal away from the wheel, not wanting him to destroy her handiwork. "So…did you need something in here or...what?"

Ah yes! He remembered! The interesting smell! Where was the interesting smell coming from?

Lion began to sniff in the air. As he caught the sent he trudged along the sticky makeshift pathway that barely existed. Amethyst followed him in annoyance, hoping she could go to bed soon.

\---------------

30 minutes later, the beast had led her so deep into the catacombs, that even Amethyst was having difficulty remembering the nearby collected items. From time to time, the purple gem picked up something she thought important that had been left here long ago. She might as well after all…the animal was taking his sweet time.  
"COME ON Lion! You've been at this forever! What is it? A dangerous artifact or something?"  
The cat answered with a sudden sprint! He knew he was close to the source of the smell. The gem followed quickly- and was soon met with great disappointment.

The treasure pile of open food cans was tackled.

Lion licked at any leftover morsels of perishables that smelled good.  
Amethyst sighed with annoyance. "That's what you wanted? Food? Give me a break! We have plenty of food in the house! Come on! Get out of those cans!" The purple gem tugged at the creature's tail, which resulted in a startled grunt from the large animal. As the cat reappeared, it was obvious that he had gotten quite filthy from his treasure hunt. Amethyst shook her head sarcastically. "You're so weird Li-OHMYGOSH!"  
Something had caught her eye. It was a tattered, red blanket that looked like it had seen much better days. The cloth sat partially under a large pile of wooden antiques. She snagged the blanket and yanked it out from under the mound, resulting in a table toppling over. "Hey Lion! Check this out! It's one of the first human-thingys I ever collected! I've been looking for it for 400 years! Isn't it awesome?!" The gem wrapped the blanket around herself before presenting it to the cat. "Here! Try it out!" Amethyst flattened the blanket on the floor. Lion sniffed it curiously. It smelled a lot like the friend that stood in front of him…and mothballs.  
The animal laid down on the blanket, and rolled about with glee.  
"Yeah! I know! Isn't it great? It's so warm too…"  
Lion got up. Now he smelled like his friend too, and (as an added bonus) the blanket smelled a little like him as well. As the gem continued to cuddle the blanket in affection, the feline's attention turned to the antique wooden table that had fallen over onto its side. He grabbed one of the table legs with his massive jaw, and attempted to drag it over to show the gem. The table was quite old, however, and the leg snapped off easily.  
"LION! Don't break anything."  
The cat blushed in embarrassment. His strength had gotten the best of him. Amethyst chuckled.  
"You know what? Keep the table leg. It's yours! Think of it as a gift for helping me find my blanket!"  
The creature smiled, and began to happily chew on his new toy.

\----------------

The two lugged toward the exit. The feline was now satisfied with his journey, and decided it was time to let his friend sleep. "Thanks Lion! This was much more fun than I thought it was going to be!" The gem waved, still clutching her blanket, as the door closed for the night. The cat walked back into the living room, and continued to chew on his toy. After a while, the animal felt pretty sleepy himself. He placed the table leg down carefully in the middle of the room, and walked up the stairs to where Steven was asleep. Lion dozed at the foot of the boy's bed, being careful not to wake him. What a great day it had been!

As the large table leg sat on the wooden floorboards, it began to rock ever-so-slightly. A strange shadow seemed to leak out of the object.  
At the same time, Lion was asleep upstairs. His ear slightly twitched in slumber. His foot moved in his sleep…

\----------------

Itchy.

Itchy…why was he itchy?

Steven woke up violently scratching himself. At first his unconscious mind didn't process the thought fully. But then he felt it. Something was MOVING…  
The boy woke with a start, and yanked off his bed sheets quickly.  
"AHHHHHH! BUGS!"  
-and indeed there were! Welts covered the poor half human. Millions of tiny brown insects completely engulfed the mattress. Steven ran from his bed quickly, and tried to shake off the bugs in a panic. Most fell to the ground, and crawled back toward the mattress. Steven noted that the only ones left were the big red ones. Wait…those weren't red bugs…  
"TICKS!"  
The boy ran in circles in a panic. He attempted desperately to remember the trick for getting rid of the pests. It had something to do with a match…but he couldn't quite remember what….

Pearl and Garnet had returned sometime in the middle of the night, and rushed out of the temple door in a panic.  
"STEVEN! What's wrong?" Pearl stood in shock for a few minutes, and Garnet attempted to run into the living room first. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far. As the red gem rushed to the wooden floor, she fell straight through. Only her head remained above ground as the shocked gem dangled helplessly under the house.  
Pearl stepped carefully over Garnet's head, trying to make herself as light as possible. Her feet finally reached the kitchen tile. As she looked down, a screech could be heard throughout the temple. The floor was swarming with cockroaches. The small things skittled quickly away from her feet, as the gem bounded (surprisingly clumsily) onto the kitchen counter.  
"What is this?" Garnet had to mumble slightly considering her jaw was obstructed by the floorboards.  
Pearl remembered her original task. "STEVEN! Are you okay?"  
"There are ticks on me!"  
"Ticks?!"  
"-and little itchy brown bugs! They are all over the mattress!"  
"What is going on?"

Amethyst suddenly appeared from her room. Her eyes were heavy from sleep, and she was draped in her red blanket. She yawned with annoyance. "What's all the racket?"  
"BUGS AMYTHEST! THERE ARE BUGS IN THE HOUSE!" Pearl was hysterical.  
"Oh. Is that all? Jeez you guys are WAY too dramatic and-"  
Amethyst looked at Garnet's head resting on the floor, and began to stifle a laugh at the absurd sight.  
"It's not funny." Garnet was not amused in the least at her current predicament.  
Lion yawned, and itched himself as he awoke from the large commotion. His stomach didn't feel so great, and he wanted to go back to sleep as soon as possible.  
"Amethyst! Do you know anything about this?" Garnet inquired.  
The purple gem shrugged. "Sorry. I have no clue how all these insects got in the house." As Amethyst said this, Pearl shuddered with a start. She had spotted a swarm of insects completely covering Amethyst's tarnished red blanket.

\----------------

Several phone calls later, the family stood in front of their house which was now decorated with a lovely blue tent.

It had taken some time to go underneath the home, and pull Garnet out of the floor from the opposite side. To the dismay of Amethyst, Pearl had tossed her special blanket in the garbage, which had now created some sour feelings between the two.

After the house had been evaluated, the exterminator came out of the blue tent with a grim look on his face.  
"Bed bugs, Black Carpenter Ants, German Cockroaches, and Black-Legged Ticks. This is one of the worst infestations I've ever witnessed. What on Earth happened?"

"BLANKET." Pearl couldn't even form full sentences.  
"Excuse me mam?"  
"BLANKET!" Pearl glared at Amethyst whom glared right back.  
Garnet piped in: "What about the floor?"  
"Carpenter ants like to build their nests in wood. They probably attacked it when they entered the house."  
"Hmm." The red gem gave a look of frustration.

Lion, meanwhile, was not doing well at all. While the rest of his family was distracted from this infestation, the feline sat next to his kin quite hunched over and green. As the exterminator gave the bad news that the entire house would have to be sprayed, the cat gave a mighty heave. Pearl jumped as massive amounts of old expired food pumped out of the beast's mouth.

Lion felt better now.

The cat happily looked up at his shocked family, and began to clean himself…completely unaware that he had been the cause of all this devastation in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…yeah.
> 
> I hope you guys weren't eating while reading this thing (apologies if you were).
> 
> I had to research common house pests for this one- specifically, insects found in Maryland. Surprisingly, I didn't come across many termites…so I used carpenter ants instead.  
> We've actually had to deal with carpenter ants where I live. Many of them eat sugar, but like to diminish wooden houses to create their nests. This normally results in major support beams inside of the wall corroding from wear (but if your floor was made out of wood, I'm sure they would attack that too…).
> 
> I also learned that Beach City is located in a fake state called "Delmara", but is actually based on a real place- Ocean City in Maryland.
> 
> I kind of want to go there now…if you research pictures of the place it's like…a near EXACT replica of the background from the show (they even have an arcade, and a boardwalk, and a place made out of cheap carnival rides, and a beach shore like…in the EXACT spots they should be). It's slightly terrifying. I wonder how many cosplayers the area has gotten recently?
> 
> In addition, apparently, Beach City is also a mix of Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, and Dewey Beach (heh...) in Delaware.
> 
> I haven't been this fascinated with a fictional place actually existing, since I discovered that "Old Man's Cave" from Jeff Smith's "Bone" is actually a real place located in Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.
> 
> So, if you're a Steven Universe fan…there you go. I just created an excuse for a road trip.
> 
> You're welcome.


	3. Cubbies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lion visits an old friend!

Lion would disappear regularly. Steven noted that the cat would go missing, sometimes days at a time. The boy figured he was out hunting. The creature would on occasion bring his kills back with him. Sometimes (to the dismay of Pearl), he would leave large half-eaten carcasses in the house to make sure his family knew he loved them.

He was gone again today. Steven sighed. "I wonder what he does with all that spare time?"

\----------------

Lion pounced!

The armadillo in his paws struggled for a few seconds before going limp under the animal's massive weight. This would be perfect! He knew the kill would make for a wonderful gift. The cat had never caught one of these before, and enjoyed offering everyone a range of meat to keep their stamina up.  
Lion looked up at the night sky. It was time for the humans to go back to their dwellings. Yes. Luke was waiting for him.

The creature gave a mighty roar, and a portal opened. He would return home soon, but this visit was always significant and took priority.

\----------------

The baby lion cub was lying down, and looking at the sad pool of water in his enclosure. Perhaps the adult had finally forgotten about him? All the people had already left the zoo, and there was no one to keep him company now.

A portal opened!  
The baby perked up immediately at the sight of the magical circle. He hadn't forgotten! He knew Lion would come!  
"Rawww!"  
The cub looked in amazement as the giant pink creature slid out of the portal. No matter how many times he saw it, this phenomenon still amazed him. The little one secretly wished he had the power to leave the wall as he pleased. Maybe he was too young? Perhaps he would have to get big and strong before he could make the shiny thing like Lion could….

The baby galloped happily toward the adult. Lion stood majestically with the kill in his mouth.  
"Raaaa!"  
"RRRRAAAAWW."  
The two cats greeted each other in their normal fashion. Lion had discovered soon after finding this cub, that his name was Luke. He had no mother, no father, no friends. The baby was all alone, and Lion had created a priority to visit him as frequently as humanly possible, so that he wouldn't get sad. The adult normally visited after hours, once the zoo had closed. The creature had discovered that having a random lion appear and disappear in the cage seemed to panic the humans, so he would wait until the zoo was dark before arrival.

Luke pawed at the kill curiously. What had Lion brought for him today? The adult placed the armadillo on the ground. He looked at the baby's excitement, and gave his strange gurgle-purr which demonstrated affection. Luke approached the carcass with enthusiasm! He had never seen this kind before! The cub attempted to rip at it with his tiny teeth, but was having difficulties with the kill's similar size.

Lion gave the armadillo a determined swipe, and managed to help the baby instantly. The little one ate happily and willingly.  
"ROOOOOO."  
Lion reminded the cub not to eat the entire treat, and to save half for the rest of his family. They always seemed so excited when he brought home gifts…especially the tall one with the spear and pink hair. Sometimes she would get so happy, she would squeal in delight.

Deep down. Lion knew all these people relied on his hunting skills. Sometimes, it was a bit exhausting, but it was also very satisfying. He was helping provide for his family and friends so that they could eat and survive.  
"Raaa!"  
The little cub looked at the adult with admiration. He was so cool! Luke really wanted to be as brave, kind, and awesome as Lion when he gained his mane.

"MURRRRR?" Lion asked the question that had been pestering him for a while now. The cub was growing fast, and had to be taught about the land of the area if he wanted to survive successfully.  
"Raaa? RAAA!" clearly excited, the baby responded immediately.  
Lion gurgled, pleased. This would be the first time he had journeyed with Luke, so it would not be very long. He didn't want to overstimulate the kid before he was ready.

The adult laid himself down as flat as possible, and waited patiently as the baby crawled up his side, and clung desperately to his mane. To Luke's surprise, the mane made a perfect seat. The cub braced himself for the most amazing thing he had ever experienced.

"ROOOOAAARR!"  
Lion stood up, and created another portal. The baby grappled to his fur tightly as his ride bounded through…

\----------------

So many colors zoomed close! Bright pinks and shades of green whizzed by the cub from all directions. These were colors the baby hadn't seen before, and the excitement was overwhelming!

\----------------

In a split second, Lion had returned to the beach. The giant cat ran along the shoreline, as Luke attempted to take in all the sights. The adult had told him stories of the big water that bordered a desert, but seeing it for himself just made the experience all the more special.

Lion stopped in front of the temple Steven lived in briefly. Luke gazed at the giant human statue in awe.  
"ROOOOO." The adult explained the significance of the place. It was where the rest of his family lived. Family….

Luke was reminded of his mother. How she had fallen asleep so many suns ago. His hope was waning for her return. The cub had attempted to wake her but was unsuccessful. The memory made him miss his mom. A tear formed in his eye. "raaww…"

Lion turned quickly, and saw the baby's distress. He gave him an encouraging lick in hopes of comforting Luke. The cub clung tighter to the adult's mane. No…he was not alone anymore. He had Lion as a friend now. Lion would always take care of him. "Raaa?" The cub wanted to make more family. He asked the adult if he could meet the Steven.

"Mrrrfff." Not today. Perhaps some other time.

The cat wanted to show the baby his other favorite spot before their safe return. Lion ran off again, and headed toward the building with the gigantic ring on its roof that was barely visible in the distance.

\----------------

Lars hated taking out the garbage. No matter how many things he had coaxed Sadie into doing, he could never encourage her to take the trash out to the dumpster for him. The teenager mumbled obscenities under his breath as he lugged the smelly, leaking wad to the back of the Big Donut. Lars heaved the garbage over the dumpster wall.

"RRRROOOAAARRR!"

The teenager jumped as a loud sound erupted from inside. He looked in the dumpster, not so much with curiosity, but with expectancy.  
There was Lion, lying among bits of shredded garbage and food, the young one still clinging to his mane in surprise.  
"YOU AGAIN! Grrr…GET OUT OF THERE!" Lars kicked the side of the dumpster with such force that he stubbed his own toe. He cursed to himself, as the large cat bounded out of the box. Lion ran off into the distance, slightly spooked from the large din the boy had created.  
"YEAH! You BETTER run!" Lars yelled toward Lion in the distance.

\----------------

"Raaww!" The little cub decided that while the large blue box was comfy and full of food, the human was also quite frightening. He wasn't sure if Lion's favorite spot was as special to him as it was to the adult.  
"MRRRFF…." Lion understood. It had been a long day, and Luke was obviously exhausted from this extra journey.

With a mighty roar, the duo jumped through the portal and found themselves back in Luke's den.

The baby slid off of Lion's back carefully, so that he wouldn't topple over. The large beast looked down at the little one as Luke displayed a mighty yawn, and then shook himself in an attempt to stay awake.  
"Glomp!"  
The adult picked up the sleepy cub and carried him over to the trees in the enclosure. As was tradition since their first encounter, he found some leaves and twigs, and covered the baby to make him feel safe.  
Luke yawned again before nodding off into a deep slumber. The adult nuzzled the baby's forehead affectionately, before picking up the remainder of his kill, and heading home.

\----------------

Lion was asleep inside the house. It was morning now, and he had found a nice sunbeam to bath himself in.

As Pearl left her room, she gave an audible shriek which proceeded to wake up the entire home. In front of her door was a half-eaten armadillo carcass.  
"LION!" she screamed.

Still half-asleep, the cat smiled knowing through Pearl's excitement that she had loved her present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you are probably wondering where the name "Luke" came from, aren't you?
> 
> I did some research (surprise, surprise…) on zoos located in the state of Maryland. The first one that popped up was The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. I found through the zoo's website, that it housed three lion cubs. Among these three were two baby lions- a boy and a girl that the public decided to name "Luke" and "Leia" respectively (because…you know…Star Wars is AWESOME).  
> Anywhozit, the two cub siblings were orphaned. Their mother died while giving birth to the pair. After reading the story, I decided that the fictional Luke would inherit the real cub's name.  
> Unfortunately, it seems that the team moved the sister- Leia, to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco Texas in 2015 for species conservation purposes.
> 
> …but don't be sad!  
> The third housed cub (named Zuri) still keeps Luke company!
> 
> So yeah!  
> You can actually visit the REAL Luke if you live in the Baltimore area! If you do, make sure you say hello for me!  
> (if you look up "Maryland Zoo Luke" in Youtube's search engine, you can see footage of the three cubs playing together…it's incredibly adorable)
> 
> By the way, (in case you guys were wondering), you will be happy to know that both a Peridot AND Lapis chapter are in the works (as well as a special double-length Halloween story...fun!).


	4. Use the Lion to Connect the Dots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot decides to research the strange feline...with...mixed results.

Several months had passed. At this point, Lion would come and go as he pleased. Everyone now knew he had something to do with Rose - her stuff was stored in his fluffy pink mane.  
Steven had figured out the feline's strange ability to create portals, and walk on water.  
In addition, the cat's love for Lion Lickers Ice Cream was certainly an indication that he wasn't a normal Earth lion. The creature would often hunt his own game which made feeding him less of a chore.

The gems now had other things preoccupying their minds. At this point they were attempting to deal with a completely different type of animal of sorts…  
…the Homeworld gem, Peridot.

She had recently betrayed her own Yellow Diamond authority, which meant that the Crystal Gems were pretty much stuck with her. Peridot, who had only spent a few months on Earth, was more inept when it came to social taboos and speaking "proper" English. She had told the party of something called "The Cluster" with which Homeworld was planning on destroying the Earth. The green gem had reluctantly decided to assist her new "family" pretty much because she had no other choice.  
Steven gave her a tape recorder to help her remember things about Earth culture. In between working on the drill device that would ultimately save them all, she enjoyed learning about the planet's different customs.  
They had recently taken a trip to the moon using Lion's ability to create portals. While the ride had been fast and bumpy, Peridot now had a new interest in the large feline. Certainly any common Earth creature was not capable of these feats? After the trip, she decided to do some research on the subject.

\----------------

Her first few attempts to document the creature were quite unsuccessful. The cat would freely roam, and was surprisingly difficult to find when needed. Peridot figured that brains could conquer brawn any day. The green gem set up a makeshift trap consisting of a Lion Licker, a rope, and a blanket she had found in the barn. She went about her normal business, knowing that waiting for the feline would be long and tedious.

Upon return to the barn at the end of the day, her eyes met a sight that was most disappointing. The rope and blanket dangled from the barn's roof. The blanket had been either ripped or torn through. On the ground lay a discarded ice cream wrapper. It seemed the creature was too strong to be trapped by a mere warming square. She would have to try something else...

\----------------

The next day, Peridot managed to find more Lion Lickers in a nearby decorated vehicle. The car seemed abandoned, but still functioned fine. The wheeled menace played an ungodly tune, as the alien shifted through its contents. There was a strange human sign on the window, which stated "Be Back in 5 Minutes". Peridot did not know how much a "minute" was, but she figured the sign was meant as a sort of "help yourself" statement as the human that owned the vehicle was obviously inconveniencing people from receiving the "food".

She placed the large pile of ice cream inside the barn. Certainly this much confection would attract the pink one? Her new plan was much more simple. Wait until the creature came into the barn, and then close the door. It was a basic plan, but it would have to do for now.  
Unfortunately, the Pearl broke her concentration. She wanted more help on the drill. Frustrated, Peridot quickly went to assist. She would have to rush back before all of the creamed ice was gone.

A minute later, the green gem returned with the realization that the animal had entered the barn! She could see movement in the darkness of the shadow that the roof created over the various equipment. She went inside quickly and gave a shout of triumph, as she closed the door behind her. What excitement! What joy! What…Amethyst?

The purple gem sat in the middle of the pile of eaten confections. She turned to Peridot looking quite guilty.

"What are YOU doing here?"  
"I found ice cream."  
"Yes, but that was for the big pink creature, NOT you."  
"Lion?"  
"Yes! Yes! Now OUT! WHAT A COMPLETE DISASTER!" Peridot shoved the purple gem out with a sting of annoyance.

She stood in the barn now surveying the damage. The green gem was plum out of ideas. She obviously could not use "food" again, the Amethyst would get to it first. She sat. Thinking….thinking…what else could be used as a lure? What did this creature want? What did it like? Hmm…perhaps Steven would know?

\----------------

"So you just want me to stay up here and call Lion?"  
"That is the prime objective."  
"…and what is the point of me being on the roof?"

Steven was currently clinging onto the barn's roof. His feet were tucked underneath to prevent any misstepping. The boy looked slightly nervous as he glanced down over the building. Peridot had coaxed him up here, before removing the tall ladder. She decided to only explain her plan after the fact.

"It's simple really. The mammal seems to respond much more quickly to perilous situations. If it sees you up there, perhaps he will arrive sooner."  
"Lion is kind of spontaneous. I don't think this is going to work…"  
"It will work fine. Now call his name."  
"Why the roof though?"  
"Because."

Peridot was reminded of the pebble's father, and the fusion getting incredibly upset when the green gem decided to test her theory to see if humans could fly. This was certainly a good spot for such events to occur. Besides, she knew better now. If the boy began to slip, she could certainly catch him.

Steven shrugged, and began to call the creature, again, and again, and again...

\----------------

Thirty minutes went by, and still no animal.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT PINK MENACE?! HEEEY YOUR STEVEN'S IN TROUBLE!"  
"Peridot…my feet are falling asleep."  
"Negative. Gravity connectors do not have a separate unconscious state."  
"No…I mean I can't feel them anymore."  
"Oh…very well Steven. This plan doesn't seem to be helping with my research anyway."

The green gem picked up the large ladder, and wobbly propped the thing against the barn so that Steven could get down - just in time for Pearl and Garnet to turn the corner and witness the entire scenario.

\----------------

Peridot was now on her human leash again. The clods had tied her to the fence for a "time out". Apparently, even putting a human on a roof was discouraged, and considered quite dangerous.  
"I don't understand! Steven wasn't in danger! I was there the whole time! CLODS! How am I supposed to continue my research no-"

Peridot stopped in surprise! She could see a big pink something trotting over the next hill. Could it be? YES! The creature! He was right there! The green gem flailed with excitement, and charged forward…before the tied leash stopped her dead in her tracks.

"NO! NO! Stupid thing!" The green gem attempted to tug at her restraint with force. It did not budge. Lion stopped, his focus on the strange scene in front of him.  
GET….OVER….HERE…." The small green alien flailed her arms in a desperate wave toward the beast.  
The cat gave a mighty yawn and lied down in place.  
"NOOOO….it's no use. My research, my attempts, all for not!" The green gem dropped down in a depressed stupor. Her goal was so close, and so far all at once.

\----------------

Steven came out to offer Peridot a beverage. He found her in a somewhat shameful state. She was lying on the floor, face on the ground. Her hand outstretched as far toward Lion as she could muster.

"OH! You found Lion!"  
"I can't reach him. My touch stumps aren't long enough." Peridot's statement was somewhat muffled through the grassy ground. It sounded as though she had just given up on everything.  
"Well, I can call him over! LIIIIIIOOOON!"

The cat's ears perked up at the familiar sound. The creature turned and faced the boy. With a slightly annoyed grunt, the animal got up, and began to trudge toward the duo.  
"OH MY STARS! HE'S COMING!"  
"See? I told you!"

Lion stopped directly in front of Steven and sat down. He noted the drink the boy was carrying, and began to lap it up with his gigantic tongue.  
"NO! That's for Peridot!" the boy whisked the drink away, resulting in another annoyed grunt.  
"It's ok. He can have it." The gem was now able to touch the beast quite easily. She was in awe, her eyes filled with stars. His fur was surprisingly soft. Steven put the drink on the ground and Lion grabbed the cup with both paws. As he drank, Peridot walked around the massive animal in surveillance. She attempted to guess measurements in terms of the creature's size, and questioned the boy on any intel he had about the animal.

"What is this for?" She carefully poked at a long stump with a tuft of hair at the end.  
"That's his tail. He uses it for balance and stuff."  
"A rudder?"  
"Yeah. Kinda."  
"Fascinating." She observed his giant mane. "Why is he so…"poofy" here?"  
"Oh! That's his mane!"  
"His main what?" Peridot looked at Steven, confused.  
"No…no…his mane! They call it a MANE."  
"Is it because it's the main part of his front quarters?"  
"Uh…I don't think you understand…I guess he has it because he's cool?"  
"I thought mammals are warm blooded…"  
"No. "Cool" is another way of saying "neat."  
"He's making a mess though. He's not neat at all." Peridot gazed at the creature getting sugary liquid all over his face.  
"NO! NO! "Neat" is another way of saying "interesting"."  
"Ohhh! His main is…interesting." The gem understood…sort of.

She noted as the creature slurped the puddle that had formed on the ground she could see giant teeth for several seconds.

"Carnivore…" she mumbled to herself. "I wonder why he hasn't eaten the Steven?" Lion's whiskers caught her eye. "What are those face strings?"  
"Whiskers Peridot. They're called whiskers…"

…and thus, the conversation went far into dusk. Peridot would record this information later…after she had been untied from the fence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short this week.  
> I hope I did Peridot justice. Remember how I said earlier that Sardonyx was difficult to write for? Well, Peridot is almost equally difficult to write for! Yikes!  
> I had to look up different mannerisms, and attempt to write a narrative in her voice. It made this chapter seem very short and blunt. I don't normally write like this, but I wanted it to kind of sound like a log. That's why the sentences and paragraph structures are so...strange.
> 
> It's definitely different from my normal style or writing. I hope I got my ideas across at least…writing from the point of view of an alien that knows nothing about Earth life is HARD.
> 
> On another note, someone should create a Peridot / Homeworld dictionary! While "face strings" and "warming square" were my own, I had to look up Peridot quotes to figure out the "touch stumps" and "gravity connectors".  
> Seriously though…there should be an entire Peridot thesaurus with words universally used by the green gem in the show, fanfictions, and comics. If we all agreed on being able to use certain words for specific objects, it would make writing Homeworld gems SO MUCH EASIER! LOL!
> 
> I had a lot of fun with that last back and forth dialogue between Steven and Peridot. I was cracking myself up as I wrote that...
> 
> By the way, I'm going to start uploading on Tuesdays only. Life has gotten rather busy lately, so I'll only be able to upload chapters once a week until further notice. I'll still read and adore all of your comments and support though! Yay!


	5. Lionskin (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gem family decides to celebrate Halloween! What could possibly go wrong?

The crisp fall air seemed to indicate a certain holiday was arriving. There was the wafting sensation of orange decorated gourds and cinnamon.  
Halloween was on its way.  
From this point up until mid-February, the gems always noted that humans would act very peculiarly. First were the appearances of monsters and candy, then the food, the decorated trees, the fireworks, and finally each human drawing cartoony versions of each other's heart paired with more candy.  
Normally these times perplexed the aliens since they lasted only several months out of the Earth's cycle. It was as if the entire world had gone nutty.  
Traditionally, the small group would avoid these strange rituals with a passion.

All that changed when Steven came along.

Greg wanted his son to be included with the other children. He had stated that it was especially important because the boy was home schooled, and wasn't able to interact with his peers as much as any normal human child. The father purchased several books on the subject for the gems to follow in preparation of Steven's enthusiasm.

The books had been quite well-loved at this point. Pearl had read them over and over again in order to remember every single ritual down to its exact detail. Some of the activities she frowned at. There was no way she would let Steven "play" with a knife or axe in order to destroy a perfectly eatable gourd, or pine tree. It seemed rather wasteful and dangerous.

Amethyst sometimes had Pearl read parts of the books to her. Humans were quite interesting, and these novels indicated several parties where gluttony and rowdy behavior was actually encouraged instead of shunned. The purple gem took note that almost every festivity seemed to be based around getting free food. Free candy, giant turkey meals, chocolate, ham- heck humans even had SEASONAL food. With eggnog, candy canes, chocolate coins, scout cookies, fruit cake, and cranberry sauce. If nothing else, these beings defiantly knew how to throw a party when the opportunity showed itself.

Garnet liked the pictures of décor in the books. Her favorites were the Christmas lights.

Between the three of them and the book of useful information, they figured that they could make this entire holiday thing work successfully.

…Unfortunately, they hadn't counted on a giant pink cat being present.

\----------------

Steven rolled two pumpkins through the sand. The massive size of each one made carrying the gourds quite difficult. He found that rolling them was much easier.  
As Steven approached the house, the boy glazed up at the stairs in defeat. There was certainly little chance of him lugging the two gourds up the side without a struggle. Perhaps he could get Garnet to pick them up? Steven left the pumpkins at the foot of the staircase, and trudged up to the top of the porch. He entered the house and attempted to find Garnet, but was unsuccessful with his quest. Tired, he sat on the couch. The pumpkins he and his dad had picked out would be fine for the time being, and the boy didn't want to pull a muscle before the following night's festivities.

Pearl appeared about 30 minutes later slightly giddy. While the gem didn't necessarily approve of Halloween's rituals of scaring people for no reason, the planning and exact execution of the festivity was exciting for her. Plus, it would be a good opportunity for Steven to be happy.

She currently held two filled grocery bags. The gems had asked her to go to the store in order to prepare for the following day. Amethyst quickly appeared from her room at the sound of Pearl's return. She was equally excited, and was curious to see what treats Pearl had found at the store.

"I located this handy magazine while picking up the groceries." Pearl held up the publication in pride. She had figured the book would serve as a more updated information guide to this strange Holiday. The magazine she had chosen featured a picture of a child and his mother in costume on the front, and apparently had an article on the inside about "50 Ways to Make Your Child's Halloween Safer".  
"Yeah. Yeah. That's great Pearl. What else did you get?" The eager Amethyst had no interest in magazines, and went straight for the treats instead.  
Pearl piped up: "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised Amethyst!"  
The purple gem stuck her head in one of the grocery bags before re-emerging in confusion.  
"What is all this?"  
Amethyst took out a long package of something. Steven quickly got up at the gem's confusion, and glanced into the bag to see what all the ruckus was about. A disappointed grim covered his face as he could immediately see what had baffled Amethyst.

The grocery bag was filled to the brim with only three things: PLAIN pencils (not even Halloween ones), miniature boxes of raisins, and toothbrushes.

"Pearl! Our house will be T.P.ed if we give out this stuff!"  
"I agree with you Steven! Our house WILL be Totally Prepared! Thank you for the compliment!"

Pearl felt proud that she was up to date on human "slang". Everyone seemed to use acronyms for words these days. She found it somewhat of a devolution of the human writing system, but felt it was understandable considering humans had much less time on this planet then other species.

"No dude. Not "Totally Prepared", "Toilet Papered". As in: people will throw toilet paper on our house." Amethyst attempted to clear up the miscommunication.  
"Why that's ridiculous Amethyst! Toilet paper is a necessity to humans…and quite expensive. Why on earth would someone waste all that time and money to throw it all over another person's house?"  
"(might if they got this stuff…)" Amethyst mumbled under her breath.  
Steven butted in: "Pearl, you were supposed to get candy. What happened?"  
"Oh come now you two! Candy causes cavities and obesity in humans! It says so in this publication!" Pearl held up the magazine in plain sight again. "According to this: some children have severe allergies to peanuts as well…" The gem stuck her nose in the book before continuing "…the article offered these healthy substitutions to provide longevity!"  
Amethyst rolled her eyes "LAME! How am I supposed to have fun during this thing if we child-proof the entire neighborhood?"  
"This holiday is for STEVEN not YOU." Pearl was growing increasingly aggravated at the attitude. Steven piped up: "It's ok Amethyst! The other houses will have lots of candy and stuff!"

"-Which you will not consume until you come back home." concluded Pearl. "This book says we need to take the candy to the hospital."  
"Why? Is it sick?" Amethyst butted in with a sarcastic quip.  
"NO Amethyst. We must have it X-rayed for razor blades."

"RAZOR BLADES?!" Steven looked slightly traumatized at the thought. Why on earth would anyone put razor blades in perfectly good candy?!  
"Yes. There are bad strangers everywhere Steven." noted Pearl.  
"What strangers? We know everyone in town!" Amethyst couldn't believe the ridiculousness of this scenario. Especially because there was only…like 15 people that made up all of Beach City.  
"You can never be too careful." Pearl nodded. This argument was growing tiresome, and she changed the subject quickly to subside further confrontation. "By the way Steven! I saw the lovely gourd you and Greg picked out in front of the stairs! Perhaps we can use some construction paper and safety scissors to give it a "funny face"?"  
"Wait…we're not going to carve it?"  
"With a knife? Goodness no! None of that. Tape and construction paper work just as well."

Steven was about to rebuttal, but Pearl quickly added "…plus if we don't doctor it, I may be able to make a pie out of it later! I could probably make three…considering its size…"  
Pumpkin pie was probably the closest thing to something "sugary" the human was going to get to eat tomorrow. Steven decided that the pastry would be worth not being able to carve a real face in a pumpkin. "Soooo…how much pie could you make with BOTH of the pumpkins, Pearl?" Steven gazed at the gem with hope.  
"Erm…both?"

\----------------

Upon Steven's quick arrival, he had walked through the front door, but had failed to notice that Lion was laying asleep under the house. The cat awoke several minutes later to the surprise of two giant orange spheres blocking the stairs.

The feline got up and sniffed the closest one with curiosity. He pawed at it, and the thing rolled a couple of times. With a sudden burst of excitement, Lion flung the vegetable under the house, and watched in fascination as the Pumpkin rolled into a sand dune. The cat happily chased after it, and began to chew on the skin with glee while sharpening his claws on the massive gourd.

\----------------

"Hmm…I only saw one pumpkin outside Steven."  
"Oh, WHAT?! Me and dad spent HOURS choosing those! Who would steal a pumpkin?!"

"Probably the same hooligans who put razor blades in candy." Pearl contemplated to herself. It was somewhat unnerving to her that there was an entire secret society of humans devoted to pulling the joy out of festivities. Razor blades, grand theft, vandalism through bathroom products…yes. These people sounded most unpleasant.  
"Probably just a prank." Amethyst was all for pranks, but sounded slightly disappointed at the potential lack of food that had been denied to her at the expense of someone else.  
"Theft is no laughing matter Amethyst." Pearl was clearly upset by these developments.  
"Yeah…yeah…"

Garnet suddenly appeared from her room. She surveyed the scene before butting in. "Are you ready to go Steven?"  
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Garnet is taking me to get a costume! Oh…by the way, could you help me get the pumpkin up the stairs? You know…before that one gets stolen too?"

Garnet said nothing to this surprising news, but nodded slightly before going out the door, and returning moments later carrying the large gourd on her shoulder. She put it on the floor of the house somewhat rougher that Steven would have liked, but at least the thing wouldn't get taken now.

"I wanna come too…and get some GOOD candy. There's no way in the hey I'm going to pick up the mess when people decide to toilet paper our house." Amethyst was frustrated.  
Garnet turned to Pearl somewhat concerned: "Pearl was supposed to get the candy." At this, the red gem looked in the grocery bag. She then looked up at Pearl with a grim expression. "This is not candy Pearl."

"ALRIGHT! I get it! Everyone wants candy! Excuse me for actually caring about the children of the world!" The gem crossed her arms in a huff.

\----------------

It was decided that they would all go to the temporary Halloween shop that had opened at the nearly-abandoned strip mall in the downtown area. The store itself was huge, and actually took up a majority of the building's space despite its short-lived locale.

As Garnet opened the door, some mechanical thing shouted "Happy Halloween!" closely followed by a lame evil laughter. The red gem showed a slight annoyance at this, but said nothing, as she led her party through the door.

The entire store smelled like latex and different brands of sweets. Pearl poked curiously at a plastic bat that was dangling from the ceiling, and immediately hid behind Garnet in surprise when the thing started flapping on its own. "Of all of Earth's holidays, this one has always puzzled me the most. Why would anyone LIKE being scared?" Pearl glanced at a shelf full of grotesque plastic masks which glared back in terrifying expressions.

Amethyst had a basic answer for this. "I think being scared is fun! Plus, you get to go up to houses and beg for free food…like a HOBO!" Just the notion of getting free food gave her goosebumps, not to mention that she would essentially be threatening to destroy people's houses with property damage if they didn't fulfill her wishes. The whole concept of Trick OR Treat seemed hilariously absurd to her…but in a good way.

The party soon found their way to the costume aisle, and the boy surveyed the various attire that was available in all sorts of popular characters and monsters. Steven looked at the wall, deep in thought. "Hmmmm….decisions, decisions…." The boy contemplated.  
"How about this?!" Amethyst quickly put a mask over Steven's head before he could see what it was. The child stood in an awkward stupor as it looked like his face had been replaced with that of a zombies'.  
"Steven! Take that thing off! It looks grotesque!" Pearl obviously did not approve.  
"…uh…that's kind of the point P…" Amethyst rebutted.  
Steven's voice sounded muffled through the mask as he looked in a nearby mirror. "I don't know guys. It just doesn't say "me" to me…you know?" The boy took the mask off in a hurry, and kept looking for something with a little less oomph.

Garnet located a pair of dress up sunglasses that looked suspiciously like her own visor. She handed them to Steven, and as he put them on, she gave him a thumbs up. The boy giggled, before taking the glasses off again. "These are nice Garnet, but I need more than a pair of glasses if I'm going to look awesome…"  
"Never stopped me." She piped.  
Steven laughed nervously before continuing his search.  
"How about this one Steven! It's adorable!" Pearl held up something fluffy.  
Amethyst began to laugh hysterically. Steven blushed. The cute puppy costume was obviously for kids that were much younger than him. "Pearl! That costume is for little kids! Do I look like a little kid to you?"

Pearl was not quite sure how to handle this question. Steven did, indeed look like a little kid to her. "Errrm…."  
Steven changed the subject. "Perhaps I should go for something more traditional…" a blue wizard hat caught his attention.

\----------------

It was decided! A wizard Steven would be!  
Pearl was of course frustrated at the historical inaccuracy of the cloak, staff, and hat, but other than a small history lesson, everyone thought that the outfit was perfectly suitable.

The candy, on the other hand, was going to be a battle all its own.

The sweet aisle was packed full of large bulk-sized bags of treats. Immediately an argument began over what kind of candy to buy and why.  
Amethyst (of course) wanted to try everything. To prevent any damage of the merchandise Garnet put it upon herself to watch the purple gem like a hawk. Every time she would discreetly reach for something, Garnet would sternly pat her on the hand. Her future vision was having to go into overtime to prevent chaos, but the technique seemed to be working fine for now.

Pearl, meanwhile was having difficulties of her own. Almost all the food in this aisle listed "Fructose" or "Sugar" as its main ingredient, neither which was recommended by the magazine article. Every time Pearl would find something that sounded remotely healthy, she would turn the bag over and be frustrated once again by the list of ingredients.  
"Why on earth does it say strawberry on the front? There's no REAL strawberries in this! Honestly! Strawberry FLAVORING? How can you even make strawberry flavor with an absence of actual strawberries? What on Earth do they put in this stuff?" The gem inspected the bag, twisting and turning it in confusion, as if doing so would somehow create a miraculous answer to her question.  
Amethyst piped up: "I don't care what we get…as long as it isn't raisins again."

Steven thought for a second before turning to the red gem. "What do you want Garnet?" it seemed the best tie breaker would be given to the one person that didn't have a preference one way or the other.  
"Hmm.." Garnet thought for a second while blocking Amethyst's hand from grabbing a wad of bubble gum. The gem didn't eat much, but certainly had tried many foods throughout her life. She recalled some of the sweeter things that might fit into this situation. Dainties were certainly not an option. Despite them being slightly sweet, they had a bitter aftertaste. Both Spook and Slurm would have been good choices if they were looking for soda, but the gem doubted Earth would have any of these anyway. She had to keep her thoughts on human cuisine. She looked toward the gum Amethyst had been eyeing. "Chu-Bops?"  
"Choo what?" Steven looked confused.

Obviously she would have to choose something different. The gem tried again. "Butter Toffee? Razzles? Turkish Delight? Chuckles? Snow Cream?"  
Steven looked at the gem sarcastically. He wasn't sure if Garnet was pulling his leg, or actually struggling with this concept. The red gem lowered her head in defeat. "I'm sorry Steven. I don't really know much about human sweets…"  
The boy patted her on the shoulder with sympathy. "That's okay Garnet I'll choose for you if you want."

The red gem looked at the boy, and sighed with a bit of relief, before smacking Amethyst's hand from grabbing some bags of liquorice again.

\----------------

A regular bag of milk chocolate miniatures was chosen as a good compromise. "Chocolate goes great with everything!" was Steven's argument for getting the morsels.

On the way to the checkout line, the boy spotted a section made up entirely of pet costumes. A pair of wings caught his eye.  
The costume was technically meant for a large dog, but the gigantic yellow, feathered, things would make the perfect accessory for a wizard costume! If he could coax Lion to follow him as a mythical WINGED lion…well…that would certainly be something to witness! It would be the finishing touch that would put the authenticity of his costume over the edge. Steven immediately begged the gems for a chance to try his idea.  
"I don't know. Will a lion even tolerate a costume?" Pearl seemed hesitant at the idea of having to spend extra money for no reason. She looked toward the rest of her family for support.  
"Aww…let him try. It will be funny!" Amethyst looked forward to the spectacle she might get to see later.

Garnet shrugged in indecision.

They took the wings, and proceeded to pay for everything at the check-out line.

(TO BE CONTINUED…)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I must apologize for the unexpected hiatus. I just recently started a new job that's been eating up all my writing and editing time. I had to deal with some fairly catastrophic computer problems and unexpected training last week, and couldn't do much else.
> 
> I've actually been hesitant about putting up this chapter. After seeing the preview for "Gem Harvest", I'm not sure how long this story is going to be cannon. (On the brighter side of things, I think I totally nailed Lion's personality down after watching the short "Cooking With Lion"…the scene with the avocado reminded me of that bowl of oranges from chapter 2)!
> 
> I've also started some "Fandom Poetry" that you guys can see on my main AO3 page- and I am working on a (somewhat) Homeworld story- something I've had an interest in doing, but never attempted.
> 
> Honestly. This chapter has been giving me struggle. I've written about 2/3rds of it, but it requires heavy revisions, and an ending. I seem to be quite stuck- NOT because I don't know how it's going to end, but because my muse has kind of frozen-up. (don't you hate it when that happens?)
> 
> I'm always nervous about how my stories will be accepted....
> 
> Anyway…enough with my ramblings. I apologize if this chapter disappointed in any way. But you guys don't read the author's notes for all this sentimental goop, right?
> 
> You want my research!
> 
> …and research YOU SHALL HAVE!
> 
> \----------------
> 
> Ok…so…for this chapter I had to look up a bunch of CANDY. Yus. So much candy! I also had to reference a lot of lists dedicated to science fiction. Here's the kicker: all of the sweets Garnet mentions are either REAL, or pop culture references to food from other Sifi stories! I compiled a list!
> 
>  
> 
> Food from other worlds:
> 
> * Dainties – From "Prelude to Foundation" by Issac Asamov, "Dainties" are artificially grown little spheres of food that can be flavored to taste like anything. Unflavored, they are sweet with a bitter aftertaste (as Garnet mentioned)
> 
> *Spook – Also known as "programmable soda" Spook comes from the story SOLACE by Jeff Noon. It is described as having a soda cap that can "twist six different ways to get six different flavors". The soda is programed to taste like the desired flavor according to the top of the drink.
> 
> *Slurm – This one is a bit more obvious. "Slurm" is the popular soda featured in the cartoon "Futurama". It is made on the planet Wormulon, and is created by the secretions that come from a Wormulon Queen's hindquarters. It is described as being so sweet that it's addictive.
> 
>  
> 
> Actual Real Food!
> 
> * Chu-Bops – A discontinued type of bubble gum from the 1980's. Chu-Bops were flat, and often cut like a record album (with a small hole in the middle and everything). The package they came in also looked like a miniature record slip, featuring different popular artists of the time. They are now highly collectible by bubblegum, and rock enthusiasts.
> 
> * Butter Toffee – An old fashioned sweet that supposedly originated in the United Kingdom or Canada. The sweet first appeared in the early 1800's, and is created by "caramelizing sugar or molasses".
> 
> * Razzles – Created in 1966, Razzles are basically hard candy that turn into bubblegum when chewed.
> 
> * Turkish Delight – Made popular again by being mentioned in "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe", Turkish Delight consists of various nuts and seeds held together by a sweet gel...normally flavored by fruit. It supposedly originated in the Ottoman Empire, making its origins possibly as early as 1299 A.D. However, the modern-day version of the sweet was created around 1777.
> 
> * Chuckles – Created in 1921, Chuckles are essentially fruit flavored gummy candies covered in sugar.
> 
> * Snow Cream – Pretty much the first created ice cream. "Snow Cream" got its name because it was originally made using real snow (keep in mind refrigeration was…erm…lacking in the 15th century…)
> 
> \----------------
> 
> …also "Lionskin" is actually a type of gem! (fun fact- the title was originally going to be used for a chapter about Lion finding a corrupted "Lionskin" OC. I wasn't sure where the short would lead. I decided to use it for this story instead- since the name sounds creepy, and sort of rhymes with "Pumpkin")
> 
> Also- apologies to my real family member that actually used to give out pencils and raisins on Halloween (at least HER pencils were decorated in spiders and bats n' stuff…)


	6. Lionskin (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gem family decides to celebrate Halloween! What could possibly go wrong?

“LIOOOON!!!”  
Steven called the big cat with little success. Unknown to him, the large animal had fallen asleep from exhaustion underneath the house. The feline currently hugged the slightly tattered gourd like a make-shift pillow as he dozed.  
Frustrated, the boy went back into the house and quickly remerged with some calming cat treats Pearl had gotten from the pet store. He shook the bag in hopes that the sound would corral the animal from his hiding spot.  
Lion’s ear twitched. He woke up at the noise, and gave a mighty yawn before lumbering slowly toward the bag of food.  
Steven saw his friend suddenly appear from underneath the house. The large animal sat in front of the child patiently waiting for his reward.  
“So THAT’s where you’ve been hiding!” The boy put his hands on his hips in triumph as if coming to a grand realization.  
The lion grunted with annoyance.  
“Oh! Right…” Steven threw a hand full of cat treats on the ground. Lion began to lick at them as the boy walked around the creature. He contemplated the easiest way to get the wings on the feline.  
The package of wings sat in the sand. Steven struggled with the parcel momentarily, before ripping the thing open.  
As the creature continued to lick at the treats on the ground, the small human slowly snuck up to his animal friend from behind, careful not to distract the cat from his meal.  
In one swift movement, Steven quickly used the Velcro and clips that came with the outfit and plastered the pair of wings around the feline’s middle.  
The sudden new sensation made Lion jump in surprise! The cat landed, and looked at the boy feeling slightly betrayed.  
“Oh my gosh! It worked! Lion! You look awesome!”  
The cat turned his head at the two feathery animals that now had a grapple on him. He quickly turned in a circle, and attempted to paw off these new parasites with little success. Perhaps he could walk them off? The cat began to attempt to jaunt, but this new costume made even something as simple as walking a chore. The animal’s steps reared to the left slightly, before the the feline froze, and fell over in an awkward state which made it look like his legs had frozen in place. Laying down, with all four paws in the air, the creature began to twist his back in the sand. Lion scooted on the wings in an attempt to rub them out using the ground. After getting dirt all over himself, the creature sat up again, frustrated. The feathery things were still on him. In a last attempt of desperation, the cat approached Steven.  
“Rooooaah.” The feline moaned at the boy in sadness. He needed someone with apposable thumbs to get the costume back off. Steven folded his arms in triumph.  
“Now Lion, it’s just until tomorrow. You can look nice for one day. I want you to get used to them before we go out for candy.”  
The cat wasn’t sure what any of this meant, but it seemed the small human did not understand what he was saying. Perhaps he should be a bit more obvious? “Rooooooaaaahh…..” Lion put his paw gently on Stevens shoe, before leaning toward him so that the wings were directly in his face.  
“No Lion! I’m not taking them off.”  
The animal grunted in disapproval, before sulking away, slightly tripping with lopsidedness as he did so.

\----------------

 

“BWA-HA-HA-HA! I can’t believe you actually got those on him!” As Steven re-entered the house, he could see that Amethyst was obviously amused. “I saw the whole thing through the window! Good show!” The gem slow clapped approvingly.  
“Yeah…I just hope he can get used to them before tomorrow. He seemed a little bit, unbalanced…”  
“Bah. He’ll be fiiiine.” The gem waved her hand in certainty. Her eyes lit up with a sudden realization. “Sooo…what do we do next?!”

The answer came in a lame realization of safety scissors and construction paper. The pumpkin lay peacefully in the middle of the floor as the entire family attempted to construct something that resembled Halloween décor.  
Amethyst looked quite bored as she attempted to cut a lumpy triangle out of the corner of a piece of black paper. “When I first heard about this activity I thought it would be…you know…FUN?”  
“Safety IS fun Amethyst.” Pearl was insistent.  
Steven butted in and whispered “Just imagine all the pie we’ll get afterword!”  
The purple gem nodded in agreement. Although she really wanted food now, Garnet always stated that “patience was a virtue” which basically translated into “wait forever, and you’ll get what you want eventually”.  
Amethyst glanced toward the red gem who was having the most difficult time with the child-sized scissors. Garnet stuck out her tongue in the most bizarre of mannerisms as she battled with an orange piece of paper. It was obvious that delicate craftwork was not much of her forte. Amethyst secretly wondered if it was Ruby, Sapphire, or both who was controlling the scissors, and which one of the three was the most creative of the bunch.  
Pearl seemed much more efficient at the craft, although she didn’t seem to grasp the concept of the tradition very well. The pile of incredibly fancy hearts and detailed paper doilies displayed that the alien hadn’t even considered creating a bat or bug silhouette.  
Steven defiantly had the right idea though, and made a traditional Jack-O-Lantern smile, which he proceeded to tape onto the gourd. “There! That looks pretty good, right guys?”  
The three others stared at Steven’s creation before nodding in agreement. It seemed the desired effect had been accomplished, and that there was no need to ruin any more construction paper.  
Garnet glared at her sad lumpy circle (which the others supposed was meant to be a pumpkin), before becoming slightly frustrated in defeat. She smiled anyway, knowing this entire thing was not to be taken too seriously. Perhaps some practice was needed in order to get better at human décor in general.

\----------------

 

Meanwhile, Lion was having troubles of his own. He walked along the Cliffside of the beach, rubbing the wings against the rough rocks. This did very little, with the exception of making some of the feathers fall off. The creature veered toward town in a slightly diagonal line. Perhaps there was another object- or human that would help get the weird things off.

\----------------

The laughs didn’t help. The cat currently sat in the middle of a coldasac with various townspeople laughing and taking cell phone videos of his misfortune. The cat drooped in shame, as he lumbered from person to person in hopes that someone in the circle would assist. After being cooed and humiliated for several minutes, the animal slinked away down a nearby ally. He sighed, and lied down as he reached a dead end. He would have to leave the way he came, and did not want to face that crowd of people again. The creature would have to wait and hide until the strife had died down.

\----------------

 

Lion was running through the back alleys- running in fear, and trying not to let any more people see his humiliation. The cat glanced in a clearing quickly, before sprinting a b-line straight shot to his favorite hiding spot- the Big Donut dumpster. He hopped in, in hopes he would not be caught, and laid low. 

Sadie came out of the side of the building, looking slightly annoyed. The store was closed tomorrow during Halloween- however, this meant that corporate had instructed her to dump all Halloween themed ingredients into the dumpster. This annoyed her slightly, because it seemed so wasteful. She would never understand why the Big Donut headquarters would rather just throw stuff away, than give it out for free. Neverless, she wanted to keep her job, and was currently heaving a large tub of caramel outside. It had been used for the special “caramel apple donuts”- which hadn’t sold well- everyone wanted pumpkin spice this time of year.  
She unplugged the massive tub, and struggled with the weight while patently waiting for the sticky syrup to pour into the dumpster. Just because they were making her throw food away, did not mean that she had to dispose of it properly- it was the little things in life- little rebellions that made life exciting.

Lion, meanwhile, continued to stay low and quiet. The caramel poured on his head and mane…covering his fur in thick gloops. The animal was mortified, but didn’t want this “Steven friend” to see him like this. She sometimes gave him ice cream, and he wanted to keep in good standards with her kind nature.  
He would take this sticky liquid- he would take it –LIKE A MAN.

Once the human disappeared back into the building, the cat violently began to roll among the garbage, and attempted to get the sticky stuff off as much as possible…..

\----------------

 

The next night marked the big event. Steven was so excited, that he put on his wizard costume before the sun even set. It was agreed that Amethyst and Garnet would tag along with the boy for gathering candy, while Pearl would stay at the house to pass similar teats out to others.  
This seemed like the only optimum choice, considering Amethyst really wanted to experience the entire enchilada herself, and Garnet didn’t trust her to behave in Pearl’s care for the evening.  
Pearl was somewhat disappointed (and a bit frightened) about being left alone with strangers constantly coming to the door all night, but Garnet reassured her that as long as the porch light was out by 10 P.M., she wouldn’t have any difficulties. It was an even trade-off, and Steven promised to take lots of pictures on his phone to show her later.  
A large popcorn bowl was placed conveniently on a stool next to the front door. Inside were the chocolate, and not-so chocolate stuff that had been collected from the previous day. Pearl fiddled with her skirt, nervous as all get out.  
“It will be fine.” Garnet attempted to reassure her again. “Most people coming to the door will be little humans and their parents.” The red gem patted Pearl’s shoulder in confidence.  
“Most?”  
“Come on now Pearl. It’s not like we can’t protect ourselves in the very unlikely chance that someone other than a human child comes to the door…”  
The gem nodded in agreement, but still looked slightly concerned. Garnet took the opportunity to place Steven’s large pumpkin on the porch to welcome guests. The red gem stuck her head back into the house briefly. “Are you two ready yet?”  
“Ready!” Amethyst appeared from her room with something that resembled a giant burlap sack. Garnet stared at it curiously. “WHAT? Steven said you need something BIG to carry the haul in!”  
The red gem nodded, remembering the boy’s words. She was not really interested in getting candy though, and would really act more as a chaperone. Knowing these two, she would probably end up carrying their “haul” of candy anyway.  
“I can’t find Lion!” Steven appeared from the beach down below. “He was around here yesterday. Maybe he’s mad at me?” the boy looked up at Garnet with desperation.  
“I’m positive Lion is fine. He will catch up with us later.”  
“Really?”  
The red gem stared into the distance. “I can see no future where he does not re-appear.”  
This relieved Steven. At least he would appear later in the evening. The creature enjoyed roaming during even the dullest of days.

\----------------

There were screams, there were shouts. While the night seemed to be going quite smoothly, Amethyst was having (in Garnet’s opinion), a bit too much fun scaring each house they approached with different grotesque shape-shifting form before ransacking the large tubs of sweets.

Steven was trying to have a good time himself, but couldn’t help but feel a bit worried for his beloved pet…

\----------------

 

Pearl, meanwhile, was actually beginning to enjoy her side of the activity. Seeing small humans in different costumed attire was actually….rather adorable. She still seemed a bit nervous as she filled every human’s bag with treats.  
One of the little girls that was wearing a princess costume complemented Pearl’s “pretty dress”. The gem blushed slightly, and gave the human an extra handful of treats for being so polite.

\----------------

Finally, 10:00 P.M. rolled around. As asked, Pearl took in the pumpkin, and dowsed the porch light. She went outside one last time to inspect that everything had been taken care of…

“WOOOOOHHHH….”

….an ominous groan from the bottom of the stairs made the hair on her neck stand up! She glanced down.  
There was a silhouette of something horrid. In the moonlight- it resembled a massive blob of human garbage. It was almost like a living, breathing, wad of waste. The odd creature made an ominous sound as it attempted to climb the staircase. Pearl took out one of her spears instinctively and pointed it at the monster! To her surprise, however, the thing didn’t seem interested in fighting. The bulk of items was preventing it from climbing up the stairs, so it simply rested in the sand- becoming filthier in the process.

The Gem slowly backed toward the door, and returned into the house. It was not wise to take on such a massive creature independently….and the thing didn’t seem terribly aggressive…  
….she would wait for back up. Yes. Yes.

Pearl sat, scrunched up, afraid- her back against the house’s door. She would stay in position for over an hour.

\----------------

By the time Garnet’s team returned to the house, the monster had disappeared. The trio was shocked and surprised when they opened the door to find a paranoid Pearl scared out of her wits. The poor warrior told her tale of horror, right before Steven spotted a silhouette of something similar in the distance…it seemed the mysterious creature was swimming among the sea life.

\----------------

Lion hated getting wet, but his options were limited at this moment. As he swam in a circle- globs of syrup and random bits of garbage drifted out of his fur with the flotsam.

Steven’s emotions went from blood curling fear, to absolute relief as he approached, and realized the garbage monster was merely his lion friend that had gotten himself into a sticky situation.

Steven willingly removed the winged costume once the feline swam back to shore.

However…..  
…it would take approximately five baths to get the pet returned to his former glory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story time!!
> 
> I have a cat…and she is the sweetest thing ever!  
> One Halloween (when I was younger) I came up with the perfect costume!  
> I dressed up like a back cat, and found a witch costume for our kitty!
> 
> She’s actually one of those super gentle cats that doesn’t mind dressing up. So, I bought a special cat leash, and took her Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood that year! (I was a witch’s black cat! Get it? Because the cat was the witch….and…..oh…nevermind. You get it…)
> 
> Anywho’s….  
> Everything was going (actually) quite well!  
> ….until we ended up at this one house with a massive, hyper, golden retriever.  
> ….  
> ……Do you know what it feels like to have your pet cat climb up your back with her claws, and proceed to dig them into your skull?
> 
> …..yeeeeeaaaahhhhh……we totally had to take my poor kitten home after that.  
> …..stupid dog…..  
> ….anywhos, that story kind of inspired THIS story! So…..yay?
> 
> Happy Halloween!


	7. Lapis the Sheepish Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis finds an interesting pink creature while watching wildlife

Even on one of her better days, Lapis preferred not to be bothered. This planet was quite lovely- she supposed, but the poor blue gem had been so traumatized from her past experiences, that it would take a considerable amount of time to heal. She enjoyed sitting in Earth’s trees. They reminded her of the leaf Steven had gifted to her during one of her flights.

The gem especially enjoyed “creature watching” in her spare time. Sometimes she would observe humans, or birds, or fish. All three of these animals were her current favorite. They all seemed so free in their respected spaces. She found it easier to cope if she saw all the things she was staying on the planet for, instead of thinking about the things she missed so dearly.

Lapis sighed as she witnessed two squirrels fighting over an acorn down below. Her head rested on the branch of the mighty oak she had decided to plant herself in for the day. She found that animals in general didn’t really mind her. Whether this was because she was good at hiding, or naturally calm she was not sure.  
Calm, perhaps, but only on the surface. In reality, her mind was a war zone. She had been captured, trapped, abused, and then captured again. Her life seemed to go into a never ending cycle. She had lost trust in many gems and creatures, all because of her own tainted past. Perhaps she was weak? Maybe that’s why she kept getting captured. It would probably happen again. These nice calm moments never seemed to last very long.  
It was strange. Lapis still felt trapped, but in her own mind. The thoughts would continue to press through and tell her things she disliked. Perhaps it was something she had done in the past, and sometimes it was an event that hadn’t (and might not even) happen. She sighed. If only there was something that would give her a calming distraction to her internal struggles. Steven was a good choice, but he was currently on a mission. Peridot was also turning increasingly sociable lately, but her enthusiasm sometimes exhausted Lapis to the point where she just needed some down time.

The two squirrels continued to play tug-of-war with the acorn until an invisible noise made the duo stop, and look into the distance with fear. The animals scurried away in a hurry. Slightly annoyed at the interruption of her interesting show. Lapis squinted in the same direction that had distracted the squirrels in hopes of seeing what on Earth had scared them so badly. The gem put her hand over her eyes in hopes that the extra shade would provide a clear view. All she could make out was a pink blob of something trudging over the land about two hills over.

The blue gem quickly spread her wings, and took off souring through the sky. The water that made up the feathers shimmered slightly in the sunlight. She spotted another large tree below which seemed stable enough. The gem landed gracefully and silently. As she retracted her wings, Lapis located a decent hiding spot among the flora.  
Nearby was a massive pink cat. She had seen this creature before…yes. He hung out with Steven a lot. Lapis didn’t know much about Lion (not even his name), but she remembered him attacking her previously when she had “borrowed” the ocean in an attempt to return to Homeworld.  
The blue gem was cautious. She wasn’t sure if this animal was hostel toward her or not. She would watch from this spot for now, and observe the cat’s behavior.

The massive beast sniffed around a nearby tree, before taking his claws, and sharpening them on its side. This left the tree with several large scratch marks at its base.  
A sudden rustle in the nearby brush caught the feline’s attention. An innocent looking brown hare appeared, completely unaware of the danger it had just put itself in.  
“Oh no…” Lapis mumbled to herself as the Lion crouched down, and began to sneak up the little bunny from behind. He waited behind the brush and steadied himself before leaping toward the animal in a pounce.  
Lapis covered her eyes with her hands, but was still able to see slightly through her fingers. In a very swift and sudden movement, the rabbit turned around in surprise. The small creature lifted one of its powerful legs before aiming a strong swift kick toward the giant beast.  
“RAARRRMMPhh…”  
The kick landed on the cat’s nose, slightly shocking the animal in surprise. As Lion rubbed his face quickly with his paw, the bunny retreated into a nearby ground burrow. The cat followed a few minutes later, and stared intensely at the hole in the ground in hopes that the creature would reappear. When nothing happened, the massive feline began to dig quickly into the ground in hopes of recapturing his pray. Dirt began to spray in a fury as the desperate creature worked his paws like shovels.  
The absurd situation was very slapstick, and quite humorous to Lapis. She was relieved that the cute small creature had gotten away, but couldn’t help feel slightly badly for the cat’s sad disappointment. Still so, she just couldn’t help herself…  
“Snort!” The gem snorted in laughter, before covering her hands to her mouth in realization.  
It was too late to take back the noise however- The massive creature’s ear perked, and the large animal proceeded to trudge toward the tree where the gem was residing.  
Perhaps if she didn’t move, and stayed hidden, the large cat wouldn’t find her?  
Lion sniffed at the occupied tree with interest. As the animal stood on his hind legs, the blue gem froze in fear.  
“Mrrrrph?” Lion questioned the tree with no answer. He sniffed in the air before attempting to push the massive plant over with his front paws. The small vibrations only resulted in a couple of leaves falling to the ground below.  
The large feline looked up at the plant in frustration.  
“RRROOOOAAARR!!”  
A sudden sonic roar sent a huge vibration to the tree top. A majority of the leaves fluttered down as well as a very stunned and frightened Lapis.  
The blue gem landed on the massive feline in surprise! Both of them fell to the ground in a sad pile.  
Lapis held her head for a second, before realizing what had occurred. She felt something furry beneath her, and quickly got up and took a couple steps away from the creature in a fear.  
Lion slowly rose from the shock, and shook himself violently in order to regain his composure. As the cat turned around to stare at the mystery creature, Lapis flinched, secretly wishing there was a large body of water nearby to protect herself with.  
Nothing happened.  
Lion stared at the gem for a few seconds before beginning to groom himself. He was secretly hoping the creature would be something he could eat, but now that he saw it was only a “Steven Friend” he seemed to retreat into a relaxed drone.

Lapis looked at the cat in shock. Certainly he remembered her? Would he recall her attacking him with water clones of his friends?

The cat stared at her sarcastically. Before walking back to the rabbit’s burrow and trying to peek inside again.  
The gem sighed in relief. Either the cat didn’t remember, or didn’t care about past squabbles. Lapis followed the animal to the burrow, and surveyed the situation to see if she could help the creature cheer up in some way. She didn’t want the bunny to get mauled, but sympathized with the sensation of being disappointed with any given situation.  
“Mrrr…” The pray was gone. Lion moaned in sadness as his head drooped.

Lapis surveyed the area to see if she could find something to assist the beast with his sorrow. Her eyes sat on a small puddle that had formed from a recent storm. It was certainly nothing special… not even big enough for a rat to sit in. It would have to do for now.

With a wave of her hands, the incredibly small body of water began to contort slightly. The liquid flew into the air for a few seconds, before a water rabbit was formed. The strange creature looked almost identical to the one that had gotten away, except it was much smaller- only about the size of a field mouse. The “rabbit” mimicked the movements of its living brother. The cat stood, with a look of complete and utter fascination at the strange thing. With a flick of the gem’s wrist, the bunny began to hop quickly in every direction, darting this way and that. Lion followed the “animal” closely, before giving chase. The two looked like they were dancing as the large beast bounded after the hare in a new sense of confidence.  
Lapis smiled. It felt good to make someone else happy, even if it was only for a little while. With a sudden pounce, the giant cat landed on top of the bunny, resulting in a gigantic barrage of water droplets to the lion’s face.  
“GRRRAAAMMPHH!” Lion madly began to groom his eyes. He didn’t really like getting wet on the best of days, and this strange pray had delivered a nasty surprise of defense.

As the gem watched the lion try to figure out where his new pray had gone, she decided…  
…this new animal was now her favorite.


End file.
